Method of making a baby nipple valve



y 1959 R. E. TRAVIS 3,443,000

METHOD OF MAKING A BABY NIPPLE VALVE Filed Jan. 16, 1967 United States Patent f US. Cl. 264-154 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A soft, resilient rubber core, positioned in the normally open bottom of a baby nipple, has a bore within which two abutting upwardly thrusting flexible lips extend from the wall to provide an imperfect, sensitive one-way valve orifice. The core is made by molding with the lip precursors forming an unbroken bridge, temporarily inverting fitted rigid members into the upper cavities of the bore and slitting the bridge with a sharp instrument applied from the other side.

Background of invention This invention relates to a nipple and in particular to a nipple permitting a baby to suck up fluid from a bottle held in a vertical position.

I disclose in my co-pending application No. 475,523, filed July 28, 1965, a baby bottle nipple which will permit vertical sipping by providing a one-way valve in conjunction with a tube extending to the bottom of the portion of the bottle.

The nipple has across its normally open bottom a wall provided with a central bore closable by a pair of abutting, upwardly thrusting resilient lips. In the bottom portion of the bore is mounted a flexible tube extending into the bottle. The bottom wall with its bore and lips is preferably provided by a core inserted into the bottom portion of the conventional nipple. The lips are generably made of a soft, resilient, flexible material similar to the rubber used in the nipple itself and are preferably wholly within the bore. The top of the tube preferably has a flange engaging an offset portion in the bore. The tube is preferably flexible and sufficiently heavier than the fluid, such as milk, that is to be used, to cause some bending down towards the bottom of the fluid no matter the position of the bottle. The bottom end of the tube may be weighted, if desired, to aid in this function.

In operation, squeezing and releasing of the top of the nipple by the infant will cause sucking of milk from the upper chamber which in turn will cause milk from the bottom of the bottle to be sucked up through the tube and by the flexible lips into the upper chamber, so that once the nipple has been primed, the infant will have a constant supply of milk in the upper chamber of the nipple.

I found that molding the core in a conventional manner is diflicult and time-consuming.

Summary of invention The core is made by molding the two lips integrally as an unbroken bridge extending within the bore across the inner wall of the core, temporarily inserting rigid fitted members into the upper cavities of the bore and slitting the 3,443,000 Patented May 6, 1969 bridge with a sharp instrument applied from the other side.

Brief description of drawings FIG. 1 is a top inverted view of the core.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the inverted core resting on a hard surface with fitted rigid members in position.

FIG. 3 is a view as in FIG. 2 after slitting.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the core after slitting.

FIG. 5 is a vertical median section of a bottle and nipple utilizing the core of this invention.

Specific example of invention Referring now to the specific embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the nipple 113 is held on the top threaded portion of bottle 111 by a conventional rigid threadable collar 112 which applies pressure to the bottom or seating flange 1131). Pressed into the normally open bottom portion of the nipple 113 is a soft, resilient rubber core 114 having side threading 115 and a central upper bore 118 and extending from opposite sides are two abutting, upwardly thrusting flexible lips 116 and 117 which provide an imperfect one-way valve orifice 121. In the bore 124 is inserted an extended flexible tube 119 having an upper flange 120 engageable in bore 118.

In operation, manipulation of the nipple orifice 113a causes flow by any fluid in the bottom of the bottle through the open end 122 of the tube through the top of the tube through the valve 121 into the upper chamber 123 and thence out through orifice 113a. Release of suction on orifice 113a causes the fluid to press the two lips 116 and 117. Release of suction on the nipple top 113a although stopping back flow to any substantial extent, does, however, usually permit suflicient back flow so as to equalize the pressure.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The core 114 is molded So that the sections 116 and 117 form an upwardly thrusting, but unbroken and continuous bridge within the bore with cavities on one side of the bridge. The core is inverted and placed on a hard surface 107 with fitted rigid members 110 and 109 filling the cavities. Then a sharp instrument, such as chisel 108, is applied from the other side of the bridge to slit the bridge and form. the two valve lips from sections 116 and 117.

Altthough 110, 107, and 109 are shown on separate members, they can of course be combined into a single unitary member.

The one-way rubber valve described in this invention is smooth acting. The valve closes under reverse pressure and the milk does not go back into the bottle as with previously described devices. Because the core member is made of resilient rubbery material, it is a simple matter to disengage the tube, core and nipple from one another for ready access for cleaning and sterilization. The small leakage which arises from the expected imperfections of molding of the rubbery lips permits the air pressure to become equalized. It should be noted that that the nipple opening is generally smaller than the valve itself so that the valve does not provide a restriction.

I claim:

1. In a method of making a resilient core for a nursing nipple wherein the core has a bore with two abutting upwardly thrusting flexible lips extending from the inner wall of the bore to form a one way valve and positioned above an opening designed to accept a suction tube, the steps of: molding the core so that the lip precursors form an unbroken bridge in the bore with cavities on one side of the bridge, temporarily inserting fitted rigid members into said cavities of the bore, and slitting the bridge with a sharp instrument applied from the other side of the bridge through the bore opening to produce a slit at least equivalent to the nursing nipple opening.

2. Claim 1 wherein the core is placed inverted On a hard surface before slitting.

3. Claim 1 wherein the core is made of soft, resilient rubber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,755,191 4/1930 Richardson 83679 X 3,098,779 7/1963 COX 264154 X FOREIGN PATENTS 355,311 8/1931 Great Britain.

ROBERT F. WHITE, Primary Examiner.

s. I. LANDSMAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 83679, 926 

